Escape Pod (2x2) (updated 4/15/12)

[ews2112]

After 9 months of no posts and 8 months of no work at all on the trailer, I'm finally getting back to it.

My brother came to Cinci to help me this weekend and to get my butt moving again. Actually, he did the last bit of work on the trailer on October 31st, while I sat on a lounge chair, not feeling well. What he accomplished was framing my galley hatch.



This weekend, on Sunday, we were able to get the last part of the top on...which required a little more bending of luan.





I'm rather excited about moving forward...summer's here, my kids and my wife are out of school and we've got to get this thing on the road!!!

[glamoree]

This build is looking great! It appears your daughter is very excited and anxious to go camping, she is having just as much fun as you are.

[bobhenry]

Elliot : We need you and yours at the Crossroads of America gathering in about 30 days ! ( McCormick's Creek State Park in Spencer IN.)

If you are campable come on over if not take the family for a drive. This will be the largest Tearjerker gathering ever 127 units as of this moment. Plan on Saturday and stay for the Pot Luck dinner (promptly at 6 PM) there is always too much food so come hungry. We would love to see you there either way. So at least plan a visit.

Warning though , there are only about a dozen sites left so if you think you might be campable I would reserve a site NOW!

Here is a very informative link about the gathering.

http://cra2011.weebly.com/index.html

[aggie79]

Elliott,

You're in the home stretch now! Looks great!

Take care,
Tom

[ews2112]

@ Glamoree - Thanks for the compliment...I'm really liking it more as I get closer to finishing it...and, yes, my daughter really likes helping (she wishes she could do more but some things are just too difficult).

@Bob - Thanks for the invite! I really would love to come and first ran it by my wife but forgot that she and my girls will be in Myrtle Beach that week...then I thought I'd bring my brother (the one who has helped me on so much of this and planted this seed in the first place) but he can't make it. So...if it isn't campable by that weekend, I'll be working every mintute of it because I won't feel like I'm ignoring my family!

@Tom - Thanks for the kudos...and congrats on getting your beautiful craftmanship on the road...it really is something to behold!

Father's Day weekend was rainy in Cincinnati so I didn't get very much accomplished because I had to first make room in the garage to even get started with anything. When I did need to get to the E-Pod, I accessed it this way:



I was able to work on the door:



I decided to pull out my Rotozip to cut out the window...it makes a rather rough cut and sounds like a witch being boiled in oil, but it is easier for me to make a cut straight through the wood with it than my jigsaw.



My girls 'testing the fit and function'



This'll date me...or, at least, my musical tastes...'jamming' to these guys on a rainy afternoon probably had my neighbors wondering who was working in my garage...me or my dad? Actually, I grew up on this stuff so it's hard not to associate memories with it...



The door is going to be two sandwiched 1/2 inch pieces, so I cut the first window hole(posted above), now it's glued and then I'll be able to cut the hole again, using the first as a guide. Here it is with 'weights' to keep it flat while setting.



Finally, I added the support for the under-side of the upper-bunk/seat-back and tested its abilty to support weight...very well with my oldest on there (about 130lbs). I think if I want to get up there myself, I'll have to support with something in the short direction to prevent any bowing down the middle. Those lag bolts might look uncomfortable, but there will be a 4 inch cushion on there



All in all, not bad considering the time constraints. I'm in NY again, so no evening work this week, but I will be diving in as soon as I get home Friday evening.

[shanester]

Good. Looking build. Can't wait to see it when you're finished.
Shane[/b]

[ews2112]

It's been a long time since my last posting...and even though I feel like very little was accomplished last summer, we're almost there!

This is how it how it looks right now. I do have some more progress photos, which I'll post, but I hope to have this on the road for the first time this week.

My girls decided on the bright yellow color...actually, I kinda like it...sure makes it easy to find!

[Fishingtomatoseed]

I just read your build and like what you have. Giving me ideas for number 2. If that ever happens. The yellow looks good on it. Good job on getting it on the road.

[aggie79]

I just read your build and like what you have. Giving me ideas for number 2. If that ever happens. The yellow looks good on it. Good job on getting it on the road.

Elliot,

Good to see you back on the board, especially with a completed trailer. I agree with Clint. The Escape Pod looks fantastic! Be sure to post pictures of your first outing.

Take care,
Tom

[Forrest747]

Looks great for sure. many great ideas. I do have a comment.

YOUR WEARING FREAKING WHITE PAINTING AND USING BLACK SEALANT ARE YOU SERIOUS!
Good thing it was before labor day.

What paint did you use just curious. I am about to start painting mine within a few weeks and still cant decide.

[ews2112]

Clint – thanks...there are things I would change, but I like the setup pretty well, myself. Looks like you’re building for a small family as well?

Forrest – thanks for the compliments…and the comment! I think you’re referring to my daughter’s white shirt on ‘sealing’ day? If so, that was an old undershirt of mine…no way I’d let her wear any of her good clothes for THAT mess!

Tom – It’s good to be back, especially when it means that I’m working on this thing again…closer to actually using it. In fact…just two hours ago, I had it on its first ‘outing’…a trip to the scales! She didn’t fall apart on the way, so that’s a good thing…and she only weighed in at 1220#...almost right on what I had calculated. Now parked outside of my office until I head home:

[Fishingtomatoseed]

Clint – thanks...there are things I would change, but I like the setup pretty well, myself. Looks like you’re building for a small family as well?

What would you change on yours? Functionality of something , size, the way you built it? Mine too do over again or a new one I would do the cookie cuter design. That Grant shows and what everyone else is doing. Yep there is 4 of us and the doggie.
Happy Camping!!!!

[ews2112]

Clint -

To answer your question, I really like my design and there really isn't a design out there that would suffice, but if I were to do it again, I'd change some of the way I built it. I would have, for instnace, built my walls like you're doing yours, sandwiched instead of my single-ply walls...it just would have made things easier...there were several times where I had to find 'fixes' for issues that wouldn't have existed had I just done that to begin with (like installing windows, running wiring, and fixing bowing issues). There are a couple of other things, too. I guess it's like everything else...live and learn.

Elliot

[ews2112]

Wow, time flys when you're...well, when you're living.

I haven't been on the boards in over a year, but I'm actively working on the camper now. We're headed off to the Outer Banks in a few weeks and I've got some things to fix and things to add before a long trip like that.

As an update, we had the Pod out on her maiden voyage last August. It was a short drive up to Cowan Lake (in southwestern Ohio) just to get out and get the feel for how the setup would work. All in all, a good run and everything worked out as expected. One of the incomplete things you can see in the picture is that the hatch is held open with a board, but I remedied that this past weekend by getting my gas struts installed. I know I've said it before, but I really will try to find the time to get together the other photos I've taken of the build process up here so that this thread will be complete.

[Shadow Catcher]

A big congratulations, how did the younger users feel using it?
I trust will see it at some of the Tearjerkers gatherings?